Dragonfire and Ruin
by Finduilas88
Summary: When Fili and the other dwarves who remained in Laketown arrive in Erebor after Smaug's death, they are shocked to find Thorin firmly in the grip of gold sickness. Horrified by Thorin's behavior, Fili faces the most difficult decision of his life.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a Fili-focused one-shot set in the movie universe, because, well, I love Fili and think he deserves more screen (and fic) time! Not to mention that in BoFA it would be great to have the Laketown dwarves portrayed as especially upset with Thorin's actions..._

_Hope you enjoy it, reviews are greatly appreciated!_

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><p>The Company's small fire did little to dispel the gloomy chill of ruined Erebor. Fíli sat, arms wrapped defensively around his knees as he searched the somber faces around him for some spark of hope or encouragement in their current dilemma. He found none; even the always cheerful Bofur could only muster a wan smile. When he caught Kíli's eyes his brother grinned and nudged him from his place at his side, and for a moment his heart lifted at the familiar sight.<p>

But such joy could not last, and the young prince knew that the group's disquiet had more to do with the atmosphere inside Erebor than the armies camped outside. Almost against his will the blond's eyes were drawn to the final member of their company, Thorin Oakenshield, the uncrowned King Under the Mountain now that Smaug was dead. Fíli's uncle had finally been persuaded to pause in his frantic search for the Arkenstone to take some food and rest. The prince's heart clenched as he watched the dark-haired dwarf, his eyes wild, mind still in the thrall of the mounds of gold and gems that filled the lower halls of the mountain.

His head in his hands, Fíli could only think of how very different the reunion of he and the other dwarves returning from Laketown was than he had anticipated before their arrival that morning.

"_There will be no negotiation, no payment to this…__**Bard**__ as long as an army lies outside our gates," Thorin spat when Fíli broached the subject of aiding the survivors of Esgaroth. "The Lakemen have chosen to throw their in their lot with __**elves**__, and that is the consequence."_

"_But…" Fíli sputtered in astonishment and dismay, "their town was razed by Smaug and many of their people lie dead in the ruins! Bard took us in when Kíli was near to death—surely that counts for something!" It had been hard—so hard—for Fíli to consider forgiving Thorin for leaving his brother behind. But finally at Kíli's urging he had accepted that their uncle would not have done so if he had known how serious the younger prince's injury had been. Fíli had expected Thorin to be contrite—relieved—__**grateful**__ that his brother survived, but instead…_

"_Bard will be rewarded with gold, since that's apparently all that matters to him," Thorin said dismissively. "But not one gold piece will leave this mountain while they and those foul elves are stand before our gate." _

_Fíli clenched his fists in frustration, burning to point out the maddening irony of his uncle claiming that gold was __**Bard's**__ sole interest. "Thorin…" the blond ground out._

_The dark-haired dwarf turned on him, eyes blazing. "Enough!" he growled, slashing the air with an open hand. "My decision is made and I will hear no more of it!" With that, he spun on his heel and stalked out of room down the corridor toward the treasure vault._

_The prince started after him, not willing to concede the argument so easily, but a hand caught his arm._

"_Let him go, lad; arguing won't change his mind, it'll just make him angrier and more determined," Balin told him quietly._

"_But…but…this is __**madness**__, Balin!" Fíli exclaimed. "We need to help them! __**We**__ awakened the dragon that destroyed their town and killed their people! There's…there's enough bloody gold here to rebuild Laketown a thousand times over! Why is Thorin refusing to even talk to them? We—we have to speak to him again," the blond said determinedly, his face set. "Convince him somehow; explain how much they need our help—"_

_The old dwarf sighed, "We've tried, lad. We've all tried arguing, explaining, pleading… But Thorin's mind is set on this. We hoped that you and your brother might be able to reach him, but now I fear that he's too far gone in the gold sickness." _

_Fíli paled, he had heard whispers of his Great-grandfather Thrór's unhealthy obsession with Erebor's treasure, but he never expected his uncle to be ensnared by it as well. "No," he whispered. "It cannot be!"_

_The pained expression on Balin's face was all the answer he needed. "But… what can we do? What __**should**__ we do? Granting them the gold is not only right and honorable given how they have suffered, but we have no other choice. There are only fourteen of us here against thousands, and they can simply starve us out if they wish!"_

"_Dáin is coming," Balin told him with a brisk nod. "So we need only hold out until he arrives with his warriors. Perhaps he can talk some sense into Thorin."_

_The young dwarf groaned, "But what if he cannot? Why should he listen to Dáin if he won't heed his closest friends and kin? It seems just as likely it will give Thorin reason to believe we can fight our way out!"_

_Balin had no answer to this, tacitly admitting that Fíli might be correct. He clasped the blond's shoulder. "I'm sorry, lad, we may just have to wait and hope for the best."_

_Fíli watched him with a sinking heart as he left to join the others. His eyes stung with tears of anger and bewilderment. How in Mahal's name had it come to this?_

A soft cough brought the prince out of his reverie; it was only their burglar returning from the watchpost. The hobbit volunteered for more than his share of watch duty, preferring the open sky, however chilly, to the oppressive gloom of Erebor. Their eyes met; Bilbo smiled and crossed the room to lay a comforting hand on Fíli's shoulder. "Welcome back, my boy, we all missed you and worried for your safety."

Seeing the hobbit's cheerful face heartened him—with Bilbo's help they had escaped any number of sticky situations. Fíli let out a long breath to ease his tension; he had spent the day worrying over the problem of Thorin's intransigence, even devising a tentative, desperate plan to address it. All he had lacked was the will and the courage to follow it through. But perhaps Balin was correct that it would turn out all right without any action on his part.

Bilbo turned to share a joke with Kíli and his honey-gold curls caught the firelight. The young heir gasped softly, a memory from Laketown unexpectedly assaulting his senses. He and the other dwarves had assisted the rescue efforts before leaving for Erebor, and although Bard and his children had all survived the devastation, but there was a young girl—a friend of the bargeman's daughter Tilda—whose hair was just like Bilbo's. Fíli recalled unearthing her body, curiously untouched by the dragon fire, but crushed by falling debris. The men of Esgaroth had borne the brunt of the dragon's fury, and it was an _elf_, he reminded himself firmly, that had saved his brother's life.

He bit his lip to keep the tears from coming and took a deep, shuddering breath to compose himself. Resolved, he stood; his movements made jerky by the enormity of what he was about to do.

All too soon he had crossed the room and was looking down and his uncle with what he hoped was a conciliatory expression on his face. He cleared his throat, "Uncle, I…I meant to tell you of this earlier, but I found something that you might be interested in seeing. It might aid you in your search."

Thorin gazed at his nephew narrowly. "Well?" he snapped. "What is it?"

"It's a book…a listing of items held in vaults other than the main one." The blond shrugged as casually as he could, "I thought it might help."

"Hmm," Thorin said thoughtfully. "It is most likely that the Arkenstone is in the main treasure room, but there is no harm in looking, I suppose. There may be items of great value in the other vaults as well. Where is this book?"

"I left it where I found it; it was quite large and looked very fragile with age. I can show you where it is if you wish, Thorin."

The dark-haired dwarf stood, "Then do so." For the first time since they had returned from Laketown his eyes held some of their old warmth, and his uncle clapped him on the shoulder. "It is good to see you taking an interest in _proper_ concerns once again, nephew. Much more fitting for my heir."

Fíli felt like he had been punched in the gut at this praise, but did his best not to let it show on his face. The young dwarf led Thorin to small side room not far from the Company's campsite that he had discovered earlier. He ushered Thorin inside and gestured to a large book sitting on a stand at the back of the room. "There," the blond explained. "My apologies, Uncle, I had nothing to mark the page. The entry listing the other vault rooms is toward the end."

He remained near the door while the older dwarf impatiently approached the reading stand. As soon as Thorin was engrossed in examining the book Fíli slipped out, softly closed the door behind him and turned the lock.

The rest of the Company learned what had occurred when Thorin's shouts of rage began echoing through the empty halls. They arrived at a run to find Fíli sitting on the floor outside the room with his head in his hands, while the heavy door shook with the fury of the king's relentless pounding.

Dwalin was one of the first to arrive and he stared uncomprehendingly at the scene before him for a moment before speaking. "Mahal's guts, Fíli, what is going on here? Did…did _you_ do this?"

Fíli stood, his calm demeanor belied by the quaver in his voice, "Yes. I did what had to be done."

"Are you mad?" the bald dwarf growled. "Release him immediately!" He stepped forward to confront the prince but was stayed by a hand on his arm.

"Wait, brother," Balin said quietly. "Let him explain."

The blond met Dwalin's eyes, "We must negotiate with Bard and the others, and we must do it _now_, before Dáin arrives. Then Laketown can be rebuilt there will be no further bloodshed. That is clear to _all_ of us, as is the fact that Thorin is not in his right mind at the moment." He glanced at Balin, his face bleak, "I…I understand why none of you could make this decision, but I can, and I must."

"You're just going to leave Thorin locked up like a common thief?" Dwalin demanded.

"It needn't be long—just until the gold is delivered. Once the men and elves have agreed to leave, he can be released."

Balin snorted, "It could be that some time away from the treasure hoard could clear Thorin's mind. 'Twould be no bad thing."

"Whether that happens or not, we'll all have to face his judgment if we do this. It'll fall hardest on you, Fíli. He's unlikely to forgive you for this, even if his senses return." Dwalin's statement was accompanied by the strident cries audible through the locked door; accusations of betrayal and worse.

"Are you ready for that, lad?" Dwalin shook his head, "We can prevent him from doing you harm, but if he chooses to disown you—_exile_ you and put Kíli in your place…"

The younger heir stepped up to stand shoulder to shoulder with his brother and snorted, "_That's_ not happening. If Fíli goes, I go too."

Fíli shot his brother a grateful look, and gave a firm nod. "I'm ready." He cast his eyes over the company, "But if any of you oppose this course of action, say so now." The assembled dwarves glanced at each other; Glóin looked as if might speak but he fell silent under Óin's pointed glare.

Bofur grinned, "We're with you, lad." Others nodded in agreement and Fíli let out a long breath in relief.

"Right, let's get started." Fíli caught the hobbit's eyes, "Bilbo, could you please go down and explain that we'll be sending out a small party to begin negotiations? I don't want anyone to mistake our intentions."

Bilbo's eyes shone with relief and excitement, "I would be _delighted_, Fíli."

A short while later the dwarves had decided their negotiation strategy and Bilbo had returned from delivering his message with the good news that the Bard and Thranduil were waiting.

Fíli took a deep breath to steady his nerves and squared his shoulders as he led a small group to the gate. Now, for a least a fleeting moment in time, he must become the prince he was born to be.


	2. Chapter 2

_This was originally planned as a one-shot, but the BotFA has convinced me that a 'fix-it' is in order and I realized this story could easily be expanded into one. It should be three chapters altogether, I hope you enjoy it. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated._

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><p><span>Chapter 2<span>

Fíli let out a deep sigh and rested against the stone pillar at his back. His eyes fell closed and he sighed again, trying to clear his head. The negotiations with Bard and Thranduil had gone as well as could be expected. It had been easy enough to agree with Bard on the amount of gold needed for the rebuilding of Esgaroth; the bargeman clearly had no idea that the quantity requested would never be missed from the vast horde. Balin was already gathering double the asked-for amount at Fíli's behest and readying it for delivery.

In theory, Thranduil's demands were even simpler; he merely requested the cask of white gems that were the center of his long ago dispute with King Thrór. All they had to do was deliver the jewels and the elves would be on their way back to Mirkwood. But the young prince had no idea when he agreed to deliver the gems that they would be so bloody difficult to find! They had been searching for nearly a day and thus far there was no trace of them. Weary and frustrated, Fíli slid down the pillar until he was seated on the chilly floor with his head resting on his bent knees.

Familiar footsteps approached and the blond smiled to himself despite his woes, his heart eased by the presence of his brother. A booted toe nudged his foot, "Are you well, _nadad_?" Kíli asked solicitously.

Fíli looked up and smiled at the brunet, "I'm fine, Kíli; just tired and taking a break from looking for those damn jewels."

Kíli slid to the floor next to him and leaned into his shoulder affectionately, "Why's he so determined to have them, anyway? There's _tons_ of junk down there he could have instead."

His brother blew out a long breath, "I wish I knew, Kee. They're obviously important to him, and I know there was some dispute over them between Thranduil and Thrór, but I don't know what it was about. Balin doesn't know either, and I'm not about to ask Thorin."

"We could offer him something else," Kíli suggested, "just until we find the jewels."

Fíli scrubbed a hand over his face, "I've thought of that, but as you've probably noticed, trust is in pretty short supply between the dwarves of Erebor and King Thranduil at the moment. I'm afraid he'll think it's just a ploy to keep them for ourselves." He snorted derisively, "Like I care about his damn necklace! I'm as fond of jewels as much as the next dwarf, but there are thousands down there to pick from if I wanted!"

Kíli's eyes crinkled in amusement, "But they'd look so fetching on you, brother!"

The blond heir shoved his brother and glared, but couldn't keep the laughter from his eyes. They giggled together for a moment before sobering.

"I guess just having him wait until we find it is out of the question…" the brunet sighed.

"I wish we could, _nadadith_," Fíli replied ruefully, "but there are two very good reasons why we need to get the elves on their way as quickly as possible."

His brother nodded, his face grim, "Thorin." In the hours since Fíli had imprisoned him, their uncle had calmed…somewhat. He was no longer screaming obscenities and pounding on the door, and had allowed the other dwarves to tend to his needs without attacking anyone who entered the room. But to say he was not reconciled to his captivity was a vast understatement. Both heirs knew that Dwalin was allowing Thorin to stay imprisoned only with the greatest reluctance, and if they did not release their uncle soon the big dwarf would take matters into his own hands.

"Dáin as well," the blond added gloomily. "I can't see him being happy about my locking Thorin up or the fact that we're negotiating with Thranduil. This _has_ to be resolved before they arrive."

At that moment their soft-footed hobbit burglar approached them with a smile, saying, "There you are, lads! Bombur asked me to tell you supper will be ready soon if you'd like to join the Company for a meal." Seeing their somber faces, he amended, "Unless I'm interrupting something important."

Fíli shrugged and smiled thinly in return, "Nothing new, Bilbo. We haven't found Thranduil's jewels yet so the odds of us persuading him to leave anytime soon are slim at best."

Kíli stood and offered a hand to his brother, pulling him to his feet, "There must be _something_ we can give Thranduil that he would be willing to take in place of the jewels, even temporarily."

"It also has to be something that Thorin values and would be willing to exchange," Fíli added, "since I doubt he'll be eager to cooperate with the elves once he's released."

Bilbo cleared his throat diffidently, catching the attention of both dwarves, "Fíli, Kíli, there is…something I should show you. Come with me."

The brothers exchanged a glance, equally mystified by the hobbit's announcement. They followed him, not toward the Company campsite as expected, but down a dusty, rubble-strewn side corridor nearby.

Bilbo reached into a dark corner behind some decorative stonework and brought out a small, cloth-wrapped bundle.

"I…I've been meaning to give this to you for some time," he said, nervously rocking back on his heels. "I…er…um… Here, take it!" he said abruptly, pushing it into Fíli's hands.

The object was hard and heavy, and the blond almost fainted in shock when he pulled aside the cloth to reveal what was inside. It was a clear, faceted jewel the size of his fist that glowed with a light from within—although neither dwarf had seen it before there was absolutely no question what it was.

"_Mahal_," Kíli breathed reverently, "the Arkenstone."

Fíli stared at the stone, uncertain whether he felt more astonished or angry. "You…you've had this in your possession _all along_? You let Thorin search for it in vain? _Why_, Bilbo?"

"I…I'm so sorry, Fíli," Bilbo muttered, twisting his fingers together anxiously. "I found it when I spoke to Smaug. I had planned to give it to Thorin immediately, but first we were chased by the dragon, and then when we were safe again your uncle began acting so _peculiarly_… The more he looked for it and became fixed on finding it, the more concerned I became about what he might do should I give it to him. But—if you have a use for it, you should take it," the hobbit concluded with a firm nod of his head.

"Fíli," Kíli warned, "I know what you're thinking, but Thorin will never forgive us if we give the stone to Thranduil. He may declare war on the elves just to get it back!"

"He was ready to do that anyway," Fíli replied, his voice bleak. "At least with this we have a chance to persuade Thranduil to leave without the jewels he wants so much." He met Kíli's eyes, "Besides, Bilbo's right, there is something uncanny about Uncle's obsession with finding the Arkenstone. I fear what effect it might have if we give it to him."

"If you're sure…" Kíli said hesitantly.

Fíli chuckled mirthlessly, "_Nadadith_, at this moment I am certain of nothing." He rewrapped the stone and carefully returned it to its hiding place. "We'll hold it in reserve. Perhaps we'll find the elf king's gems and we won't have to use it at all." He smiled encouragingly at his brother, "Let's go get something to eat."

-ooo-

After a long night of searching for Thranduil's jewels in vain, a raven arrived at dawn with the news that Dáin and his men should reach the mountain by sunset.

They had run out of time.

-ooo-

"Balin, could you oversee the delivery of Bard's gold?" Fíli asked the old dwarf as they watched the casks of gold being lowered from the front gate to the men waiting below.

"Why, certainly Fíli. You don't wish to attend yourself?"

"I need to speak to Thranduil again," the blond told him, frowning pensively.

"I was not aware that there was anything to discuss, Fíli," Balin replied, "since we have not been able to find the jewels he desires."

"I want to see if there is anything he might take in their stead—at least until we can find them." At Balin's skeptical look, Fíli shrugged his shoulders, "Nothing is lost in asking."

"Indeed not. Do you wish me to accompany you?"

The blond prince shook his head, "No, I'll take Kíli with me. It's best to get both tasks done quickly so we can release Thorin all the sooner."

Balin nodded, his face brightening, "Aye, that would be welcome." He raised one bushy eyebrow, "And what would you have me say to Bard if he asks why we are giving him more gold than we agreed upon?"

"Tell him that we are grateful for the shelter and care we received in Laketown when Kíli was injured." He smiled at the old dwarf wryly, "It also happens to be the truth."

A short time later Fíli and Kíli were shown into the elvenking's tent, and found Thranduil sitting at his ease, watching them impassively. "You wished to speak to me, young one? Does this mean you have the gems that King Thrór stole from me?"

Fíli shook his head, determinedly ignoring the elf's tone, "I am sorry to say we have not, my lord, though not for lack of searching. I am here to ask you to consider accepting something else in their stead, as a token of good faith until we are able to locate them."

"And what is this 'something else', _gold_? Thranduil snorted derisively, "I believe I have a much clearer idea than the bowman precisely how much gold lies within the halls of Erebor. You could give me gold enough to fill this tent a hundred times over and it would scarcely make a dent in the dragon's horde." He met Fíli's eyes, "No, that will not do." The tall elf glanced away haughtily, "I doubt there is anything in Erebor that would be sufficient."

Fíli exchanged a glance with Kíli; his brother looked unhappy, but resigned, and nodded in answer to the unspoken question. The blond dwarf took a deep breath to steel his resolve, pulled the Arkenstone from his pocket and showed it to the elf king. "Will _this_ be sufficient, my lord king?"

After Thranduil's cool indifference, it was certainly gratifying to see his eyes widen in shock, "You would offer me _this_? The Arkenstone?"

"Only as a pledge of good faith," Fíli answered gravely. "If you accept it, I would require your oath that it will be redeemed when the gems you are seeking are returned to you, or when another agreed-upon condition is met."

The elf king gazed at him appraisingly, "I strongly suspect that Oakenshield will not approve of this…arrangement."

"That is my concern, not yours." The dwarf prince shrugged, "Besides, it will undoubtedly strengthen your position in any future negotiations with King Thorin."

Thranduil chuckled, "That it will." He leaned forward in his chair, eyeing Fíli with renewed interest, "You surprise me, young prince. A bold move, and one I did not expect. I hope you do not come to regret it."

Fíli's chest tightened painfully, and he felt Kíli's hand creep into his own; silent support that he accepted gratefully.

"Very well, then, Fíli, son of Dis, I accept your conditions," Thranduil continued. "On my oath I will hold the Arkenstone in trust only until my gems are restored to me or we agree upon some other condition for its return." He gestured to Legolas, who was standing nearby quietly watching the discussion. "Are my son and your brother adequate witnesses to our agreement?"

Fíli stepped forward with the stone in his hand, "Yes. Please know that I do this in the spirit of hope that the relationship between our peoples can improve." He dropped the stone into the elf king's hand, all the while praying to the Maker that he was not making a terrible mistake.

Their business concluded, the two dwarves were about to make their farewells when an elf entered the tent and spoke urgently in the king's ear. Thranduil's eyes flicked up to the princes for a moment before he said to the messenger, "Bring him in."

He addressed the dwarves, "You will want to stay for this, I think."

The dwarf brothers had just exchanged a curious glance when familiar voice struck their ears.

"I am surprised—pleasantly so—" Gandalf rumbled as he ducked into the tent, "that you have sensibly decided to put aside your differences…"

He stopped abruptly, gazing at Fíli and Kíli in astonishment. "Fíli? Kíli? What are you…" The wizard shook his head, "When I was told dwarves were speaking to the King, I assumed it would be Thorin." His eyes widened, "Is Thorin…"

"Uncle is alive, Gandalf, just…indisposed," Fíli replied reluctantly. "I…_we_ are representing him."

Gandalf looked at him keenly, "Indeed? We must speak more of this 'indisposition' later. But now there is something more important to discuss—the legions of orcs that will arrive in a few hours."

They all stared at the wizard in shocked silence for a moment before Thranduil snapped, "Explain! How many are there in truth, and what do they want?"

"Many thousands, my lord—all of Mount Gundabad has been emptied. Orcs, of course, but wargs and trolls as well and who knows what other sorts of vile creatures might accompany them.

"Make no mistake, this is an attack long in the making; they mean to take the Lonely Mountain and its riches. You all must work together if you have any hope of preventing it."

Thranduil motioned to Legolas, "Find Bard and ask him to join us immediately."

Legolas nodded, but before he could leave Fíli added, "Balin should be with Bard, could you ask him to join us as well?" The elf prince glanced at his father, who waved agreement, and Legolas hurried away.

"I understand why you would want Balin's council," Thranduil murmured, "but thirteen dwarves and a halfing are hardly likely to turn the battle in our favor."

Fíli's eyes flashed, "You underestimate us, my lord King. Besides, Lord Dáin of the Iron Hills and five hundred of his warriors are already on their way and will be here by sunset."

Thranduil's eyes narrowed, well aware of the reason they would have been summoned in the first place.

But Gandalf made a pleased noise, "The orcs will arrive first, but still, that's welcome news. Five hundred dwarves is a force to be reckoned with! Can you alert them to the change in circumstances?"

Fíli nodded, "I'll send a raven as soon as we're done here."

A short while later the dwarves emerged from the elf king's tent to return to the Mountain with the grim news. They hadn't gotten more than a few steps when they heard Gandalf calling, "Fíli!"

They stopped and turned to see the wizard quickly approaching them with his long strides. "A word alone, my young friend," he said briskly.

The blond prince motioned the others to go ahead. "What is it that you want of me, Gandalf?"

The wizard gazed at him, warmth and sympathy in his eyes. "King Thranduil told me what you have done, Fíli." He grasped dwarf prince's arm lightly, "It was a good thing you did, my lad; a good thing, a brave thing, and a wise thing. You took upon yourself a burden that should not have been asked of you so soon, and you have served your people well. I am very proud of you."

Fíli gently disengaged his arm from Gandalf's grip, his face bleak. "Thank you for your praise, Gandalf, but I hope you understand why I do not value it as I once would have. I would trade it in a heartbeat if it meant I could regain my uncle's love."

Gandalf shook his head sadly and watched him join the others as they made their way back to the Lonely Mountain.


End file.
